I Immediately Regret This Decision

Twice this week I have had complaints against me from customers. I have worked there almost two months now and am always happy and smiling and cheerful to everyone. My friends would honestly not recognize me if they saw me with customers. But it's true, and it's because I have to be or else I could lose my job. But this past week I dealt with possibly two of the rudest people in Lincoln. On Tuesday a man came in and purchased a chair. We are currently running our "Back to School" program where Office Depot will donate 5% of your purchase to any school in the state. If you go in to Office Depot at any point and don't know which school to donate to, may I suggest one of the following: Belmont Elementary, Champion School, Cheney School, Doniphan High School, Randolph Elementary, West Holt High School, or West Lincoln Elementary. These schools definitely need it the most. Anyway, I asked this man which school he would like his %5 to go to and he said, "Louisville Public Schools". He made it plural, I heard him. This is important because this is what caused the problem. I was then flipping through the book to find the code for Louisville and even small towns have the schools broken up into elementary, middle and high school even if it is all one building, so I asked him which school. So then he said it again, "Louisville Public School" this time not plural, and he said it just as I located it in the book and saw that only one school was listed for the town. Then, he condescendingly started to spell Louisville for me slowly and I remember thinking in my head, "I know how to spell, thanks". Suddenly, as I am thinking those words, the same exact thing is coming out of my mouth. I could not believe I actually said that to a customer - not because I felt bad for him, he was an asshole and deserved it. I immediately regretted it because I could get in trouble for mean back. Peggy, the lead cashier, was also standing right there and later she told me that she couldn't believe I actually said that, but then she got a little chuckle out of it so I suppose it is okay. He was a jackass though and I know I have to watch my mouth because it gets me into trouble a lot. I know that at work I have to control myself, not no one ever talks down to me, and I mean no one. I will put you in your place if you do and that's the bottom line. I know it's not always the best approach to life but no one is going to treat me like I am dumb, because I am smarter than 99.9% of the customers that come into the store and I am not going to take their shit if it is ridiculously out of hand.

My second complaint came yesterday, and this is actually a joint-complaint against Matt and myself. This guy comes in looking for rubber bands. I was in Ink Depot and Matt was on register one. Matt told him they were aisle 24, then asked me if that was correct, and I said yes, aisle 24. No big deal, we go on about our day, helping other customers. Somewhere between five and ten minutes later, Peggy and Matt go in to lock-up because we needed more catalogues at the registers and they are on a really high shelf, and Peggy is about four feet tall so Matt had to get them for her. Afterwards Matt was to go on break. Matt turned his register light off, and unfortunately Peggy turned hers on but then went into lock-up. At this point it was fine because I had only one customer, but then one person lined up for Peggy, and Rubber Band Man and another customer went to Matt's register, where no light was on. I am helping my customer and Rubber Band Man says rather rudely, "Can you call someone please, you have customers waiting." I told him those registers were not open at the moment and in just a moment I could call someone up but that they were getting something from lock-up and could not come at that moment. I was physically in the middle of typing something into the register and could not stop or I'd lose my place. So Rubber Band Man comes over to my register and says, "You have people waiting, you need to call someone now." So I tell him again that I can in a moment but I am helping another customer right now and Peggy and Matt will be back any second - and then sure enough, they came out of lock-up. Peggy went to her register and Matt was walking toward the back for his break. Then the phone started ringing and I asked Matt to get it, which he did. He then went on break. I ended up helping Rubber Band Man, who was so rude and then asked for my manager's name, the store number, and my name, and I was just like, ok, whatever. I totally played it like it didn't matter, because it didn't. He can call and complain, and while he may have been in a hurry, he needed to realize he can't just get his way and there were people ahead of him. I hand him his receipt and everything, and then I go to write the information down for him and I was going to circle the phone number on the receipt,which I told him was where the phone number was and he is all pissy and says he doesn't want me to do anything to the receipt and takes it away from me. I then tell him I need to see the receipt to write the number down for him and he gives it back. He calls Jennifer (our assistant manager)and actually LIES RIGHT TO HER. He said when he came into the store Matt was sitting and spinning in a chair - he wasn't, he was standing up because I could see him; we were talking when the guy asked for rubber bands. Then he said that when Matt came over to answer the phone quick, he asked Matt to ring him up and Matt told him he was on break. That is complete bullshit, he never said a word to Matt, and when Jennifer asked how the guy knew Matt was going on break, I told her exactly what happened: Peggy was helping the customers at the front register, I was helping Rubber Band Man, and Matt handled the phone, then told Peggy he was going on break when everything was under control and everyone was being helped. Seriously, people like that fucking piss me off. The world doesn't revolve around you just because you are a CEO of Asshole Inc, so take the stick out of your ass and stop being a stupid motherfucker. He also told Jennifer I made some snide comment to him, which I didn't because if I did, I'd own up to it. I owned up to telling the other customer I knew how to spell, didn't I? There's no point in lying. The guy was an asshole and Matt and I got in trouble because this guy was in a hurry and full of shit. Ah well.

I am just hanging out at my apartment and stupidly decided to watch Black Hawk Down. I haven't seen it in a while; in fact, Adam is the last person I watched it with. Incidentally, I don't think I can continue watching this because it scares the shit out of me. I know he's not going to be out on a Hawk all the time, but while in Bosnia he trained on them and at some point or another, I know he will be doing drops. What worries me even more is that fact that he is on the ground. I have not been able to talk to him yet and I know I mentioned this before but I don't think I will be able to rest easy at all until I hear his voice telling me he is okay. I know the next 12 months are going to be hell on everyone close to him, not just me, but there's also the possibility he will be gone at least 18 months. Going 6 months without seeing him was tough enough, but 18? It just wasn't enough time when I had to say good-bye and until I can see him again and hug him again, I don't think I'll be quite myself. I'm trying to be brave and strong, like Adam is being right now, but it's hard. Even my mom said, no matter what she thinks of Adam for everything that happened, she has a lot of respect for what he's doing and the fact that he felt is was his duty and something he had to do. Now I am all sappy and emotional and I hate it but I worry about him. And I know worrying won't solve anything and neither will crying about it, but I do those things because I don't know what else to do. I know that these are things I can not do when I talk to him because he worries about me enough and he doesn't need to be thinking about me at home crying while he's out on a mission or patrol. I just wish this was all over and he was back home where he belongs.

"Come Home Soon"
SheDaisy
I put away the groceries
And I take my daily bread
I dream of your arms around me
As I tuck the kids in bed
I don't know what you're doin'
And I don't know where you are
But I look up at that great big sky
And I hope you're wishin' on that same bright star
I wonder, I pray

And I sleep alone
I cry alone
And it's so hard livin' here on my own
So please, come home soon
(Come home soon)

I know that we're together
Even though we're far apart
And I'll wear our lucky penny 'round my neck
Pressed to my heart
I wonder, I pray

And I sleep alone
I cry alone
And it's so hard livin' here on my own
So please, come home soon
(Come home soon)

I still imagine your touch
It's beautiful missing something that much
But sometimes love needs a fighting chance
So I'll wait my turn until it's our turn to dance

I wonder, I pray
I sleep alone
I cry alone
Without you this house is not a home
So please, come home soon

I walk alone
I try alone
I'll wait for you, don't want to die alone
So please, come home soon
Come home soon
Come home soon

"American Soldier"
Toby Keith
I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don’t do it for money, there’s bills I that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility
Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free

I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier

An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, an American, an American, Soldier

"Letters From Home"
John Michael Montgomery
My Dear Son, it is almost June,
I hope this letter catches up to you, and finds you well
Its been dry but they’re calling for rain,
And everything's the same ol’ same in Johnsonville
Your stubborn 'ol Daddy ain’t said too much,
But I’m sure you know he sends his love,
And she goes on,
In a letter from home

I hold it up and show my buddies,
Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, and they all laugh,
Like there’s something funny bout’ the way I talk,
When I say: "Mama sends her best y’all"I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,
Pick up my gun an' get back to work
An' it keeps me driving me on,
Waiting on letters from home

My Dearest Love, its almost dawn
I’ve been lying here all night long wondering where you might be
I saw your Mama and I showed her the ring
Man on the television said something so I couldn’t sleep
But I’ll be all right, I’m just missing you
An' this is me kissing youXX’s and OO’s,
In a letter from home

I hold it up and show my buddies,
Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, and they all laugh,
'Cause she calls me "Honey", but they take it hard,
'Cause I don’t read the good parts
I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,
Pick up my gun an' get back to work
An' it keeps me driving me on,
Waiting on letters from home

Dear Son, I know I ain’t written,
But sittin' here tonight, alone in the kitchen, it occurs to me,
I might not have said, so I’ll say it now
Son, you make me proud

I hold it up and show my buddies,
Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, but no one laughs,
'Cause there ain’t nothing funny when a soldier cries
An' I just wipe me eyes
I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,
Pick up my gun an' get back to work
An' it keeps me driving me on,
Waiting on letters from home